CAMBODIA looks set to achieve its rice production goal of seven million tonnes by year's end, government officials told the Post Thursday.

"This year is much better than previous years," said Nhim Vanda, first deputy president of the National Committee for Disaster Management.

"We have not had any serious natural disasters like in previous years."

He said despite two months of drought in July and August, the country had received plenty of rain earlier in the year and throughout the rice-planting seasons.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries this year projected rice production would hit seven million tonnes nationwide, a slight increase from the 6.7 million tonnes reported last year.

Chan Tong Yves, a secretary of state at the ministry, said production this year was in line with predictions.

"It may slightly increase over last year's yield," he said, attributing the rise to an increase in land devoted to rice planting.

"By mid-October this year, we had planted rice on 2,241,110 hectares."